The Shanghai ranking still dominated by American universities, France is progressing a little

POLICY – In progress. The Shanghai ranking published on Tuesday August 15 confirms the domination of American universities, still at the head of the pack, with one of the most prestigious, Harvard, in first place for the 22nd year. Nevertheless, France also has four establishments in the top 100.

The Anglo-Saxon establishments impose themselves as last year in the first ten places: eight American universities (Harvard, Stanford, MIT, Berkeley, Princeton, Columbia, CalTech, Chicago) and two British (Cambridge, Oxford) occupy the top of the 2023 edition of this world ranking of the best higher education institutions, produced since 2003 by the independent firm Shanghai Ranking Consultancy.

In 15th place, the French University of Paris-Saclay is the first establishment in continental Europe in the ranking, and gains a place compared to the 2022 edition. “This ranking clearly sets us apart in international competition and we are proud to be the only French and European Union university to be in the top 20”, greeted its president Estelle Iacona in an interview with Figaro Étudiant. Nevertheless, she nuances, “Shanghai is not the alpha and omega of our concerns” particularly because of the criteria used.

Since 2003, the Shanghai ranking has taken into account six criteria, including the number of Nobel and Fields medals – considered the Nobel of mathematics – among graduate students and professors, the number of most cited researchers in their discipline or the number of publications in the journals Science and Nature. Criteria, essentially based on research and not on training, which fuel some of the criticism of this ranking.

“This ranking is not a strategic compass. We do not ask ourselves, with each of our decisions, whether it will have a positive influence on our positioning, ”adds the president of Paris Saclay.

“French excellence” honored

France retains a total of four establishments among the 100 best in the world, with also the University of Paris Sciences Lettres (41st) – which brings together various higher education establishments including the École Normale Supérieure (ENS) -, Sorbonne University (46th) and the Paris Cité University (68th).

“Our universities do us proud! Congratulations to the 27 French establishments represented in the prestigious Shanghai ranking. Thank you to all those involved in higher education and research who are building the world of tomorrow”reacted Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne on X (ex-Twitter), while Emmanuel Macron welcomed a ranking “promotes French excellence”.

The Paris-Saclay ranking “allows France to maintain its 3rd place in the world for the fourth consecutive year, based on the number of establishments in the top 20”, welcomed the Minister of Higher Education and Research in a press release. Sylvie Retailleau, president of the University of Paris-Saclay before her entry into the government, also welcomed “the remarkable development of the University of the Côte d’Azur (+200 to reach the 301-400 bracket)”, as well as “the entry for the first time into the ranking of the University of Poitiers”.

She also pointed out that the eight French universities ranked in the top 200 have “benefited from financing under the various investment for the future programs”.

As with previous editions, more than 2500 establishments were examined to establish a ranking of the top 1000.

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